A bit of a fire roared to life inside of him. "What do you mean?"
Dakota turned to him. "I mean it would be better if you were sitting in front of a warm fireplace with Lauryn instead."
He closed his eyes and sucked in some air. Was this his opening? His chance to say something about how he really felt?
"Forget it," Dakota said.
Clay opened his eyes. "Actually, despite the astronomic levels of awkwardness in the air, I'm happy here."
She turned to him but didn't say anything.
"Did I do something to upset you?" he blurted out.
"I… No. Well, maybe. No."
He grimaced. "I'm glad that's cleared up."
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"That's not what I asked."
They stared at each other, not saying anything.
Finally, Clay spoke up. "Well, I'm sorry you have to be stuck here with me."
She turned back to the fire, making a harrumphing sound.
Clay shook his head. He would never understand women—that much, he was sure. Maybe he just needed a break from all of them for a while. He'd spent so much time with Lauryn, he hardly knew who he was anymore.
The problem was, he didn't want space from the fiery beauty with her back turned to him.
He thought back to the ride he'd taken with Dakota the week before. How cute she'd been when they were eating the greasy fast food.
Where was that Dakota?
Clay sighed.
She turned to him, but didn't say anything. Their gazes locked, but he couldn't tell what was on her mind.
He decided to take a risk. "You know, I had a lot of fun last week."
Her eyes widened. She still didn't say anything.
"Going for the bike ride and lunch was the highlight of my week, actually. That was a great time."
"I… uh, yeah. I enjoyed that, too."
Yeah, it really sounded like it. "Anyway, if I did something to upset you, I'm sorry. It'd be great if things could go back to how they were then."
She studied him. "Well, it's kind of snowy. I don't see how a bike ride is possible."
"Doesn't have to be a bike ride. Just working on weddings is fine."
Dakota continued studying him.
Clay wished she would just come out and say what she was thinking. He inched closer to her. "You're a really great person, Dakota."
She swallowed but didn't move away.
His heart thundered in his chest. He was sure she could hear it. "I like you a lot."
She gave him a double-take. "What about Lauryn?"
"I broke up with her. Before she showed up last week, actually."
"What?" Dakota's beautiful eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
His pulse drummed in his ears. He scooted even closer.
Again, she didn't move away.
Clay took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "You've been hard to get ahold of. Even harder to talk to alone. Sullivan is fun and everything, but he makes it hard to try and explain my personal life to you."
Dakota appeared conflicted. Then she turned to the fireplace and shook.
He moved closer and put his arm around her. It felt so good to have her in his arms. So right.
She continued to shake. "I-I was going to tell you the other day that I have a strict policy about not dating employees."
"Oh?" he asked. She smelled so sweet. He caught a whiff of her hair—it was fruity.
"But I…" Her voice trailed off.
Clay put his finger on her chin and guided her to look at him. "You want me to quit?"
Dakota's eyes were even wider. Her luscious lips trembled. She shook her head.
"You want to break your own policy?" he whispered.
The fire popped. She jumped.
His pulse picked up speed. He wanted to kiss her. She seemed to want him to, also. It was still a risk. She hadn't come out and said she had feelings for him, but she'd said enough.
He ran the back of his fingers along her smooth, soft cheek. "Sometimes rules are meant to be broken."
She gave a slight nod.
It was all the permission he needed. Clay closed his eyes and pressed his mouth against hers. Dakota didn't resist, and in fact responded by kissing him back. She relaxed in his arms.
An electric noise sounded. The lights came on.
Dakota pulled back.
What timing. Clay opened his eyes. The room was brighter.
She looked around. Pink colored her cheeks as their gazes met again. "Do you think the roads have been cleared?"
"We can check." He shook off the blanket and helped her up. "Why don't you stay in here, where it's warm, while I go outside and see what's going on?"
"I can help."
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. It felt so right. He kissed the top of her head. "It could be dangerous out there. I'd feel better if you stayed here. Someone has to watch the fire, anyway."
Clay pulled back and stared into her eyes.
She swallowed and nodded. "Okay."
Fifteen
Dakota scooted closer to the fireplace. Clay had kissed her. He'd actually kissed her. A gorgeous, wonderful man that she had strong feelings for actually returned the feelings. Could things be turning around for her? Might she actually find love?
She shook her head. She couldn't get ahead of herself. It was just one kiss and he'd recently broken up with a girlfriend. What if the kiss hadn't meant as much to him as it had to her?
That had to be the catch. There was always something. He was probably rebounding. That had to be it.
Or what if it wasn't?
Dakota peeked out the window, but couldn't see much. She tightened the blankets around her and went out to the main doors. Outside, Clay was pulling a large branch from the parking lot entrance to the side of the building. His feet sunk into the snow to mid-calf.
If it was like that everywhere, they wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.
Clay disappeared around the side of the building and then returned, wiping his brow.
Dakota's heart fluttered. She could watch him all day.
He went over to the entrance and looked out at the main road before turning around and heading back.
She stepped away from the window and went to the kitchen to check on the food in the fridges. Everything seemed fine. At least the power hadn't been out long—not that she would have complained had it stayed off longer.
Wow, that kiss. She leaned against a counter and relived his lips pressed against hers. It had been better than she could've hoped. And he wasn't even seeing Lauryn!
Why hadn't she given him a chance to explain himself? She should've known something was up after the way things had gone on the bike and over lunch.
Dakota hadn't imagined the spark between them.
She sighed happily.
The front door opened and then shut. She hurried over to see him. "Thanks so much for moving the branch. That looked big enough to be a tree."
Clay nodded and brushed his hands on his pants. "I've seen trees smaller than that branch. The road looks clear, but my weather app is calling for another dumping of snow in about an hour. We really should head out."
She stared at him. "Are you going to be okay driving your bike?"
"I should be. There isn't any ice on the roads that I can see."
"Maybe I should drive you."
He frowned. "I don't want you on the roads any longer than you need to be."
"And I don't want you getting hurt. You said we have an hour, right?"
"If the app is right. It isn't always."
"Let me drive you."
"As much as I'd like some extra time with you, I don't want to leave my bike out in the elements."
"How about you bring it in here?"
His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You want me to bring my bike in The Chateau?"
"Why not? It'll stay dry. If we open both doors, it'll fit thro
ugh."
"I can't do that to you."
"It's better than you risking your life. Come on. Before it starts snowing."
"You drive a tough bargain." He grinned.
She dropped the blanket and threw her arms around him. "I don't back down easily when it comes to people I care about."
He returned the embrace and brushed his lips across hers. "As long as you're sure."
"I am."
Clay went over to the bike and pushed it up to the building. Once under the awning, he brushed off the snow. Dakota unlocked the second door and opened it so he could fit it through.
He looked up at her. "Are you sure? Last chance to back out."
She shook her head. "Bring it in. A bike that nice needs to be kept out of the snow."
Clay pushed it inside and then Dakota closed the doors.
"I'm going to find some towels and dry her off."
"Whatever you need."
He headed for the kitchen and returned with a pile of towels.
She found a paper and wrote a note about The Chateau being closed due to weather. She taped it to the window facing out. Then she grabbed a towel and dried the handlebars. "I hope we don't have to cancel the weddings this weekend."
"I'm sure it'll all work out," Clay said. "We'll find a solution."
Relief washed through her. "Thank you."
"Let's hurry before you end up stuck in another blizzard."
Dakota grabbed the blanket and hurried back to her office and grabbed her coat. Luckily, she'd packed some warm mittens, a hat, and a scarf. There was even a men's scarf she'd nearly forgotten about that a groom had left long ago. She slid on her things, grabbed the black scarf for Clay, and hurried back to him.
He smiled, his dimple appearing deeper than she'd seen it before. "You're adorable all bundled up."
She laughed and then wrapped the black scarf around his neck. "So are you."
"Thanks… I think. Where'd you get this?"
"Someone left it a long time ago. Don't worry—it's been washed."
"I wasn't. You really think I'm adorable?" he teased.
"Of course." They went outside and she locked up, making sure her note was clearly visible. The white snow made it seem almost like daytime. She turned around, about to say something about it, but froze.
Clay stood there, staring at her with a huge snowball in his hands.
Her mouth dropped. "You wouldn't."
His eyes sparkled. "Oh, but I would."
Dakota shrieked and ran around him. Snow crunched behind her as he chased her.
She grabbed some snow as she ran by a bench and balled it up. Dakota continued shaping it as she ran. She darted into the parking lot with Clay close behind.
Something hit her back. She spun around to find him doubled over in laughter.
"Oh, yeah?" She chucked the snowball at him. Her fingers slid as she let go and the snow hit him square in the face. She covered her mouth and gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"Now you've done it." His mouth curved up into a wide smile. He wiped the snow from his face. "You'd better run."
"You wouldn't."
"I very much would." He scooped up an armload of snow.
Dakota ran, her feet sliding underneath her. She managed to steady her footing and she ran into the parking lot, heading for her car. At least she could hide behind it if she didn't have time to get inside. She ran under a light, and it turned on.
Glancing back, she saw Clay closing the distance between them. Hiding wasn't an option. She reached her car and pulled snow from the hood, ready to get him in the face again.
Laughing, he threw a snowball at her. Then another and another. She threw hers at him, hitting him in the chest. He didn't seem to notice as he continued throwing snow at her. She grabbed as much snow as she could from her car and tossed it his way, not even looking to see if she managed to hit him.
He came closer, but she'd run out of snow from her car's hood. She bent over to get some from the ground, but he came at her and dumped some right on top of her.
Dakota shook her head to get it off. "Okay, you win. I give up."
Clay's eyes shone as he reached for her, lifted her from the ground, and spun her around. "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."
She nearly melted in his arms, breathless. "Me, too."
He brushed his lips against hers again, sending a shiver down her spine.
Clay set her down, his eyes still dancing. "We'd better shovel some of this snow so we can get out of here. You do have shovels, right?"
"We have some gardening shovels. None for snow."
"That'll do. Where are they?"
"Around back in the gardener's shed."
He took her hand, slipping his fingers through hers. She couldn't get over how wonderful it was to be with him. She'd been foolish to avoid him all week.
They found the shovels and managed to clear a path to the road pretty quickly. Clay returned the shovels while Dakota warmed the car. He came in, sat in the passenger seat, and checked his phone. "We'd better hurry. They're still calling for another blizzard. Do you want me to drive? I'm used to the snow, being from the Denver area."
"I can handle some snow." She backed out carefully, to show him she knew what she was doing. Sure, he probably had a ton more experience, but she'd driven in the snow plenty of times. "Where do you live?"
"Right near the beach. You know the apartment building with the fountain out front?"
"Yeah. That's not too far." Her brother, Shale, lived in those. She'd been there plenty of times.
She pulled out into the street. Not another car was in sight. She eased into the lane and drove cautiously over the sanded, plowed snow. Everything was so quiet and empty. It was almost eerie, except that it was so nice to have Clay there with her.
"Will you let me know when you get home safely?" he asked as his building came into view.
"Sure." Her heart warmed. He really did care about her.
"Your phone does work, doesn't it?" he teased.
She laughed, feeling embarrassed. "Yes. Sorry about avoiding you."
He chuckled. "No problem. Sometimes I wish I could avoid myself."
"Sounds like something Sullivan would say." She pulled into the parking lot and up to the front doors.
"Guess that's why we always got along. Thanks so much for the ride." He held her gaze.
Dakota's breath caught. The last thing she wanted was to drop him off. "No problem. Maybe after all this melts, we can go for another bike ride?"
"I'd like nothing more." He leaned across the middle panel, brushed some of her hair from her face, and kissed her lips. "Drive safe, and don't forget to let me know when you get home."
"I won't."
He held her gaze for another moment before opening the door and climbing out. He glanced up at the sky. "You'd better hurry. Those clouds are getting darker."
Dakota nodded. "Okay."
Clay closed the door and walked to the building. Dakota watched him, not quite ready to leave. He turned around and waved. She waved back and then headed for the road, lost in thought.
Her heart raced just thinking about the kisses he'd given her.
Snowflakes landed on the windshield and melted. Time to get home.
Sixteen
Clay turned on the coffee pot and headed over to the sliding glass door. He could feel the cold emanating from it without touching it. Nearly a foot of snow covered everything on the deck. Dakota would surely keep The Chateau closed today. Back home, they would laugh about closing over a foot of snow, but this wasn't Colorado. The people of Enchantment Bay weren't used to this weather.
He watched as a few stray flakes fell to the ground. The sky had mostly cleared since last night, aside from the few stray clouds dropping the snow, and now the sun shone from across the bay.
The scent of coffee filled the air. He went over and poured himself a cup in his favorite mug, one with a picture of a Harley stretched across i
t. He frowned. It was one Lauryn had given him in happier times—before he'd saved enough to get his Ducati.
Maybe it was time to get rid of the mug and other reminders of her. They'd been together so long, it would take some doing. It was a good thing he had nothing else to do. Now he could clear out Lauryn from his life and make room for Dakota.
He'd thought of nothing else before falling asleep the night before, replaying his time with Dakota over and over—especially the kisses. He loved the feel of having her in his arms. Neither one of them bristled at each other's touch. They just seemed to fit.
Clay gulped down the hot coffee as quickly as he could and threw the cup into the garbage. He went through his mugs and threw more away. He was left with only a few. A couple from his parents and some that had come in a set with his plates. He pulled down a gray one his dad had picked out for him. It had written on it, Of course I talk to myself. I need expert advice. He filled it with steaming coffee.
He went back over to the sliding door and sipped, watching the bay through the slats on the deck. There was so much to go through. Lauryn had given him so many things over the years. Coffee mugs were only the beginning.
He set his drink on a side table and glanced around the living room. Knickknacks on a shelf caught his attention. Those were next. He'd never really liked them, anyway. They just needed to be on display to keep Lauryn from getting upset.
Clay sighed and picked up little painted puppies and owls. Next some decorative vases—because he spent so much time filling them with flowers. He wondered why Lauryn had picked out most of the items.
By the time he had cleared out all the reminders of her, he breathed a sigh of relief. The room was pretty sparse, but it was more his style. He picked up his cold coffee and finished it off.
Next, he needed to move to the bathroom and bedroom. His body ached just thinking about it. The clothes she'd picked out for him—mostly stuff he only ever wore when they went out. The stiff dress shirts would be the first to go. But that would be after a break.
He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. He found a movie that looked good and watched that, but his mind kept wandering to Dakota. He loved her beautiful smile and contagious laughter. But mostly, he loved the way she looked at him—like she really adored him.
Bayside Evenings Page 10